Cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter

ABSTRACT

The base of the cover of a portable typewriter forms a part of the carrying case. The outer shell is another part of the carrying case and is provided with a rigid handle having two depressible keys to disengage the shell from the base. The inner shroud is a part of the machine cover and is latched to the base through a pair of levers operable through the aperture of the keyboard on the inner shroud.

United States Patent inventor Reginald R. Gallant Bristol, Conn.

Feb. 24, 1970 Nov. 30, 197 1 in. C. Olivetti and C., S.p.A.

lvree, Italy Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee COVER AND CARRYING CASE FOR A PORTABLE TYPEWRITER 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 312/208, 206/ l 6 Int. Cl A47b 21/00 Field 0! Search 312/208.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,843,969 7/ I958 Nessel 248/20 3.348.892 l0/l967 Grassi 3 l 2/208 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Kevin McMahon ABSTRACT: The base of the cover of a portable typewriter forms a part of the carrying case. The outer shell is another part of the carrying case and is provided with a rigid handle having two depressible keys to disengage the shell from the base. The inner shroud is a part of the machine cover and is latched to the base through a pair of levers operable through the aperture of the keyboard on the inner shroud.

PATENTED nnvao 197i SHEET 1 [IF 2 INVENTOR R/E GINALD R. GALLANT m /'/7( ATTORNEY COVER AND CARRYING CASE FOR A PORTABLE TYPEWRITER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention This invention relates to a cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame.

2. Description of the Prior Art There are several known covers and carrying cases of the above type. In a known typewriter, the outer shell is latched to the front of the base externally to the base itself. To prevent the typewriter from falling down when the shell is accidentally unlatched, the handle of the case is laterally secured to the base, whereby the typewriter requires a big space when it is in operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main object of the invention is to provide a typewriter case having a safety latching for the shell such as to avoid that an accidental shock will cause the opening of the shell.

According to the invention I now provide a cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter, having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame, a rear wall integral with said base, an inner shell forming the top part of the machine cover, said inner'shroud being removably mounted on said base and being provided with an aperture to house the machine keyboard, and an outer shroud forming the top part of the carrying case, said outer shell being pivotally and removably connected with said rear wall, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of latches pivotally mounted on said outer shell and projecting downwards, and a pair of stationary members secured to said base and engageable by said latches to latch said outer shell with said base, said latches being so located as to cross said aperture to engage said stationary members. This characteristic will be apparent from the following disclosure of a preferred embodiment of the invention, made by way of example, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter according to the invention, where som parts have been removed for purpose of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal partial sectional view of the cover and carrying case of FIG. I; and

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional view taken according to line III-III of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The carrying case of the portable typewriter is integrated with the machine itself, since some parts of the case form also the machine cover, whereby it will be hereinafter named cover and carrying case. The cover and carrying case is formed of a conventional plastic material adapted to resist to accidental shocks, for example the material marketed under the name Delrin.

With reference to the drawings, the cover and carrying case comprise a base 3, which is secured by means of four screws 4 to four projections 5 (FIG. 2) of the machine frame. The screws 4 are also secured to 4 feet 6 of the typewriter, made with an elastic material. Some mechanisms of the typewriter, including the paper carriage, the type action and the keyboards are shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. Therefore the base 3 forms both the bottom of the machine cover and the bottom of the carrying case.

The base 3 is integral with a rear wall 7 (FIG. 2) which is provided with two projections 8 for placing the case when closed on the floor. The base 3 is also provided on the front with an upreaching border 9 and on both lateral rides with two upreaching borders l0. The borders 9 and 10 are on the same plane which is substantially horizontal and parallel to the bottom of the base 3. The borders 10 are connected with the rear wall 7 by means of two arcuate portions 11. Several reinforcing rims are provided on the bottom of the base 3.

The upper part of the rear wall 7, between the portions 11, is formed like a cleat having a transverse bar 12 projecting forwards and upwarqls. A pair'of rectangular vanes I3 are provided on the bar 12. In correspondence with the vanes 13 the rear wall 7 tenninates with a border 14 having a substantially semicircular section and provided with a set of notches 15 (FIG. 3).

The borders 9 and 10 terminate with a rim 16 (FIGS. 2 and 3) forming an outer abutment 17. The rim 16 of the front border is also provided with an inner abutment I8. Secured to the base 3 on the arcuate portion 11 are two curved plates 19 (FIG. 1) terminating forwardly with a rectilinear transverse edge 21. Each plate 19 contacts on one side the rim 18 an upwards the transverse bar 12 (FIG 2). The plates 19 define the aperture on the machine cover to allow the passage of the conventional paper carriage 22 of the machine.

Secured to the base 3 is a pair of stationary members each one formed of a metallic plate 23 (FIG. 1). More particularly each plate 23 is secured to the base by means of the corresponding forward screw 4 and by another screw 24. The plate 23 is integral with a portion 26 (FIG. 2) slightly bent upwards and provided with a rectangular hole 27 (FIG. 1).

Secured to each plate 23 is also a pivot 28 pivotally mounting a corresponding lever 29. Each lever 29 is provided with a slot 31 cooperating with a pin 32 secured to the corresponding plate 23. The slot 31 defines the both clockwise and counterclockwise rotation of the lever 29. This latter is provided with a bent lug 33 which is engaged by one end of a torsional spring 34, the other end of which engages the plate 23. Each spring 34 urges the forward end of the corresponding lever 29 toward the central part of the typewriter in the position shown' in FIG. 1. Each lever 29 is also provided, in the central part of it, with a lug 36 in form of a reversed L. The lug 36 is located rearwards the corresponding aperture 27 and adjacent thereto. Finally the lever 29 is provided, at the forward end, with a lug 37 bent as to be substantially vertical and directed upwards. The lug 37 is normally parallel to the central sectional pane of the typewriter.

The cover and carrying case comprises an inner shell, generically indicated by the numeral 38, which forms the top part of the machine cover. The shroud 38 is forwardly provided with the conventional aperture 39 to house the typewriter keyboard, and rearwards with the conventional vane 41 for allowing the passage of the type levers during the impact on the platen. The shell 38 terminates on the front and on the lateral sides with a stepped edge 42 (FIGS. 2 and 3), which leans on the rim l6. and on the inner abutment 18 of the border 9. The edge 42 also leans on the rim 16 of the borders 10. The external surface of the front part of the 42 joins the external surface of the rim 16, whereby the machine cover forms a single abutment I7. The shell 38 is also provided with a pair of slightly arcuate flanges 43 (FIG. 2) which terminate downward with an L-shaped projection 44 engaging the transverse edge 21 of the plates I9 to hold the shell 38 locked on the base 3.

The shell 38 is also provided with a pair of lateral tongues 46 directed downwards, which are located outside the conventional flanks of the machine frame, not shown in the drawings, to assist the operator in roughly centering the shell 38 during the insertion of the base 3. This latter is provided on each side with three projections 47 integral therewith and having the upper edge 48 (FIG. 3) inclined outwards and adapt to enable the operator to exactly center the shell 38 at the end of the movement for inserting it into the base 3.

v The aperture 39 is defined at the opposite sides by a pair of flanges 49 directed downwards. Each flange 49'--is provided with a projection 51 having a tooth 52 protruding toward the middle of the machine. The lower surface of the tooth 52 is inclined to temporarily remove the lug 36 of the corresponding lever 29 when the shell 38 isinserted into the base 3.

The cover and carrying case comprise also an outer shell generically indicated by the numeral 53, which is a part of the case itself. The front edge of the shell 53 is adapted to lean on the abutment 17 (FIG. 2) of the border 9, whereas the two side edges of the shell are adapted to lean on the abutment I7 of the border 10 (FIG. 3) and the arcuate portions 11. The shell 53 leans rearwards on the upper edge of the wall 7 (FIG. 2) and is provided with a pair of flanges 54 (FIG. 1) having a shickle-shaped section. Each flange 54 is adapted to engage the corresponding vane 13 and rockably cooperate with the border 14. Each flange 54 is reinforced with a set of plates 56 integral with the shell 53 and with .the flange 54.

Integral with the forward part of the shroud 53 is a rigid handle 57, which is provided at the two ends of the front side thereof with two square apertures 58. Each aperture 58 houses a correspondingly depressible key 59 (FIG. 2) secured to a key stem 60, which is slidable in a rectilinear guide hole 61 of the handle 57. The rear end of the stem 60 is provided with a notch 62 engaging a pin 63 of an arm 64 secured to a corresponding transverse bar 65, rotatable on a pair of projection 66 of the shell 53. The arm 64 is provided with a projection 67 engaged by one end of a compression spring 68, which is housed in a hole of a projection 69 integral with the shell 53. The arm 64 is provided with a lug 75 adapted to be arrested against a front wall 76 of the shell 53. The bar 65 is directed outwards and is secured at the outer end to a corresponding latch 70, which is adapted to enter the aperture 39 of the inner shell adjacent to the corresponding flange 49. The latch 70 is provided with an end tooth 71 adapted to engage the hole 27 of the corresponding plate 23. The lower edge 72 of the tooth 71 is suitably inclined as shown in FIG. 2.

Finally the outer shell 53 is internally covered by a thin sheet of plastic 73, which is suitably shaped to cover the projection 67 of the arm 64. The sheet 73 is secured to the shell 53 in a known manner and is provided with a pair of notches 74 crossed by the latch 70.

The carrying case can be open by intentionally depressing the two keys 59 simultaneously with the two hands. It is thus avoided that the case be open when just one key 59 is accidentally depressed. Each key 59, through the stem 60 rocks then the corresponding arm 64 (FIG. 2) counterclockwise together with the bar 65 and the latch 70. This latter disengages its tooth 71 from the hole 27 of the plate 23, whereby the shell 53 can be rocked with the flanges 54 around the border 14, till the flanges 54 can be disengaged from the apertures 13.

To disengage the inner shell 38 from the base 3, the operator acts on the lugs 37 (FIG. 3) of the levers 29 with two fingers of the two hands through the aperture 39 of the shell 38, in such a manner as to push the lugs 37 outwards against the urge of the springs 34. The lug 36 of each lever 29 releases then the tooth 52 of the corresponding flange 49'(FIG. 2), whereby the inner shell 38 can be rocked around the projections 44 and then removed from the base 3.

To reengage the inner shell 38 with the base, upon having engaged the projections 44 under the edges 21, the shell is lowered and is centered under the assistance of the flanges 46 and the projections 47 (FIG. 3). When the teeth 52 engage with their lower inclined edge the lugs 36, these are forced outwards till the lugs 36 are suddenly moved over the teeth 52, thus latching the shell 38, on the base 3.

Similarly to close the case, at first the two flanges 54 of the shell 53 are inserted into the apertures 13 and the shell 53 is brought to lean on the abutment 17. When the inclined edges 72 of the two latches 70 engage the forward edge of the holes 27, the latches 70 are forced to rock counterclockwise till the teeth 71 are moved suddenly under the lug 26, thus latching the shell 53 on the base 3.

It is thus evident that the outer shell 53 is pivotally and removably connected with the rear wall 7 of the base and that the pair of latches 70 are pivotally mounted on the shell 53 and projects downwards to engage a pair of stationary members 23 secured to the base by crossing the aperture 39 of the inner shell 38.

What I claim is:

1. A cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame, a rear wall integral with said base, an inner shell forming the top part of the machine cover, said inner shell being removably mounted on said base and being provided with an aperture to house the machine keyboard, and an outer shell forming the top part of the carrying case, said outer shell being pivotally and removably connected with said rear wall, wherein the improvement comprises:

a pair of latches pivotally mounted on said outer shell and projecting downwards,

a pair of stationary members secured to said base and engageable by said latches to latch said outer shell with said base, said latches being so located as to cross said aperture to engage said stationary member,

a pair of individually operable depressible manipulative members connected with said pair of latches for releasing said outer shell from said base when both of said members are simultaneously operated, and

a rigid carrying handle secured to said outer shell and projecting forwardly therefrom, said handle having a pair of rectilinear guide holes therein, said manipulative members being slidably mounted in said holes.

2. A cover and carrying case according to claim I, comprising:

an upreaching cleat on said rear wall, said cleat having a pair of rectangular vanes on the upper edge thereof the rear border of said vane having an arcuate section, at least two flat hinge projections carried by said outer shell and adapted to enter said vanes, said hinge projections having the rear profile arcuate to cooperate with said arcuate section.

3. The cover and carrying case according to claim 1 wherein said latches cross said aperture near the side edges thereof,- and further including motion-transmitting means connecting each of said manipulative members with the corresponding latch including:

a transverse bar rotatably mounted on said outer shell and secured to said latch,

an arm secured to said bar, and

means pivotally connecting said arm and the manipulative member.

4. A cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame, a rear wall integral with said base, an inner shell forming the top part of the machine cover, said inner shell being removably mounted on said base and being provided with an aperture to house the machine keyboard, and an outer shell forming the top part of the carrying case, said outer shell being pivotally and removably connected with said rear wall, wherein the improvement comprises a pair of latches pivotally mounted on said outer shell and projecting downwards,

a pair of stationary members secured to said base and engageable by said latches to latch said outer shell with said base, said latches being so located as to cross said aperture to engage said stationary members,

a pair of teeth integral with said inner shell and located in correspondence wit the two sides of said aperture,

a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said base for engaging said teeth to latch said inner shell with said base, and

a pair of elements on said levers manually operable for releasing said teeth from said levers upon simultaneously displacing them from the central part of the cover toward the lateral walls thereof.

5. A cover and carrying case according to claim 4 wherein each one of said stationary members is formed of a holed lug of a plate, and further including a pair of elements associated with said plates for simultaneously securing said base to a portion of the machine frame and to the associated plate, and

a pivot carried by each one of said plates for pivotally mounting the associated lever. 

1. A cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame, a rear wall integral with said base, an inner shell forming the top part of the machine cover, said inner shell being removably mounted on said base and being provided with an aperture to house the machine keyboard, and an outer shell forming the top part of the carrying case, said outer shell being pivotally and removably connected with said rear wall, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of latches pivotally mounted on said outer shell and projecting downwards, a pair of stationary members secured to said base and engageable by said latches to latch said outer shell with said base, said latches being so located as to cross said aperture to engage said stationary member, a pair of individually operable depressible manipulative members connected with said pair of latches for releasing said outer shell from said base when both of said members are simultaneously operated, and a rigid carrying handle secured to said outer shell and projecting forwardly therefrom, said handle having a pair of rectilinear guide holes therein, said manipulative members being slidably mounted in said holes.
 2. A cover and carrying case according to claim 1, comprising: an upreaching cleat on said rear wall, said cleat having a pair of rectangular vanes on the upper edge thereof the rear border of said vane having an arcuate section, at least two flat hinge projections carried by said outer shell and adapted to enter said vanes, said hinge projections having the rear profile arcuate to cooperate with said arcuate section.
 3. The cover and carrying case according to claim 1 wherein said latches cross said aperture near the side edges thereof, and further including motion-transmitting means connecting each of said manipulative members with the corresponding latch including: a transverse bar rotatably mounted on said outer shell and secured to said latch, an arm secured to said bar, and means pivotally connecting said arm and the manipulative member.
 4. A cover and carrying case for a portable typewriter having a base for the carrying case secured to the typewriter frame, a rear wall integral with said base, an inner shell forming the top part of the machine cover, said inner shell being removably mounted on said base and being provided with an aperture to house the machine keyboard, and an outer shell forming the top part of the carrying case, said outer shell being pivotally and removably connected with said rear wall, wherein the improvement comprises: a pair of latches pivotally mounted on said outer shell and projecting downwards, a pair of stationary members secured to said base and engageable by said latches to latch said outer shell with said base, said latches being so located as to cross said aperture to engage said stationary members, a pair of teeth integral with said inner shell and located in correspondence with the two sides of said aperture, a pair of levers pivotally mounted on said base for engaging said teeth to latch said inner shell with said base, and a pair of elements on said levers manually operable for releasing said teeth from said levers upon simultaneously displacing them from the central part of the cover toward the lateral walls thereof.
 5. A cover and carrying case according to claim 4 wherein each one of said stationary members is formed of a holed lug of a plate, and further including, a pair of elements associated with said plates for simultaneously securing said base to a portion of the machine frame and to the associated plate, and a pivot carried by each one of said plates for pivotally mounting the associated lever. 